Aromatherapy works on the basic premise that smells can directly
stimulate the nervous system through the effect of aromatic
chemicals on the limbic system of the brain and other endocrine glands
such as the pituitary.
The limbic system is regarded as the emotional control centre of the
brain and includes the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus and other
structures. The aromas of certain essential oils have been shown to
stimulate the release of various neurochemicals from these structures,
thus influencing mood and bodily function in a stimulating or sedating
manner.

The essential oils
are extracted directly from plants and contain the extremely
concentrated aromatic essence of the plants. These oils can be used
directly on the skin in some cases as part of a massage oil blend, in
baths or for inhalation. The use of essential oils in this manner is closely aligned with herbalism. Oils are not generally used internally as they
are far too concentrated. Their effect should never be underestimated.

Nonetheless, the oils have many wonderful benefits for children, first
aid (such as lavender oil for burns) and relaxation.

Ayurveda is literally translated to mean “Science of Life” and was
received in India some 5000 years ago through the Sages of that time.
The five elements (ether, air, fire, water and earth) each have a ruling
intelligence and combine into 3 basic constitutional body types or
doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. Only 5% of people will be single doshic
or tri-doshic, the majority of people being a combination of two
predominant doshas.

One is said to be born with a constitution that never varies through life,
although imbalances can occur that result in disease and various forms
of disharmony.

The cycles of nature, the seasons, times of day and stages of life are
broken down into phases that correspond with and are governed by each
dosha at different times. For example, when the sun is high - lunchtime
and during summer - the fire element is at its strongest and has its
biggest influence upon the fires of the body and so these times are referred to as
the pitta time. This will be a very good time for someone who has very
little pitta intelligence in their body but over stimulating for a
highly pitta person.

Foods, lifestyles, herbs and therapeutic approaches are all tailored to
individuals based on their constitutional type and imbalance with the
idea that balance must be restored.

With regard to the concepts of
healing crisis,
regeneration and
Body Electronics, which deal with
the deliberate act of moving the body out of balance at certain times, as described elsewhere on this site, Ayurveda's long track
record of success must be nonetheless considered valid. If the desire is
to work towards balance there are few systems of healing that can rival
Ayurveda in its precision and completeness, yet with the
realisation that the all-consuming aim of producing constitutional
balance in the body produces a comfort zone that sustains that
constitution. While any comfort zone brings its own limitations, by
definition, it is literally a God-send in its proper time and place.

Bach Flower Remedies

Dr Edward Bach was an inspired Englishman who identified a subtle influence
that water infused with the energetic essence of certain flowers (38 in
all) would have on the emotions. He identified a personality type that
correlated with each flower remedy and believed that absolutely all
possible combinations of emotional response could be addressed using a
small number of flower remedies unique to that person at that time.

One combination in particular, Rescue Remedy, deserves a place in everyone’s
first aid kit for use in cases of emergency, shock or trauma. Although the trauma
and the suppression of it will need to be re-experienced eventually from
a Body Electronics perspective, in the short term
Rescue Remedy may be the order of the day.

The effect of all the remedies is subtle yet profound and they make a
useful adjunct to almost any form of treatment or situation due to the
almost ubiquitous coincidence of emotional factors with any physical
problem.

In the late 1800’s Dr Schuessler from Germany analysed the ashes of
various body tissues and thus discovered that the human body contains 12 basic mineral salts that he
believed were essential for proper health. An imbalance of these salts
could cause illness; rectifying a deficiency could promote the return to
health. He formulated the salts into weak homeopathic doses for rapid
assimilation and correlated a great number of health problems with cell
salt deficiencies.

As a homeopathic there is very little actual mineral content in a dose of
cell salts and so they cannot be used to achieve
nutrient saturation or
support
pointholding. However the body can be stimulated into certain
cleansing or healing processes through their use on an energetic level
and it may be that the cell salts help the body re-establish mineral
balance through their subtle influence.

Nonetheless, cell salts also form a useful adjunct to many treatment
methods and are of particular value for infants, children and first aid.

These proprietary blends of minerals are based on the findings of
Schuessler but were redeveloped by Blackmore to be
optimally absorbable at a cellular level. While not appropriate for use
for maintaining
nutrient saturation, they appear to have a similar
ability to Cell Salts in being able to restore the mineral intelligence
of the body and can be well used for strategic purposes by a trained
professional.

The field of herbal medicine is somewhat vast, spanning every continent in modern
history and for over 5000 years. The use of herbs was widespread
throughout the ancient Ayurvedic (Indian) and Chinese traditions, and
used by the ancient Greeks, having a renaissance in Europe following the
Middle Ages. Native cultures around the world such as the North American
Indians, NZ Maori, Hawaiian Kahunas, Tongans and Fijians also have rich
heritages of herbal knowledge, each culture having a deep spiritual
connection with the land and its flora.

Although the vast majority of herbal knowledge is supported by thousands
of years of experience and track record,
scientific methods such as spectrographic photometry in the latter part
of the 20th century have made it possible to identify the
exact chemical constituents of hundreds of herbs and identify the
typical specific action of each isolated constituent. Indeed,
synthesised versions of many of these isolated constituents form the
basis of modern pharmaceutical drugs.

The amount of science and double-blind studies on the effects of herbal
medicine is now so comprehensive as to satisfy the most
scientifically-minded (if they would but listen) and would fill a great
many volumes. Unfortunately there is also a lot of uninformed media
commentary on herbs from the medical profession, their schools and the
pharmaceutical industry, which
is nothing less than propaganda in the face of this body of
scientifically substantiated knowledge. Claims that herbal medicine is
“hit and miss”, untested, dangerous, unrepeatable, ineffective, etc. are
clearly unfounded.

To the contrary, herbal medicine has a track record of safety and efficacy
extending for thousands of years across numerous generations, a track
record that medical science is still yet to achieve. The scientific knowledge
possessed by many Herbalists today has merely verified what has been known
for centuries through simple observation of nature and patients and in
many cases, what could only be called divine inspiration.

In my opinion, it is not the science of herbalism that should be highlighted,
but nevertheless, all is there for inspection by the
person who needs to see the proof in
black-and-white. The heart and soul of herbalism is not in modern
science, but in spiritual inspiration, direct communication with plants,
intuition, thoughtful and prayerful observation, the Doctrine of
Signatures, and good old-fashioned experience.

The Hawaiian Kahunas, for example, recognised that no two plants are alike.
Even two specimens of the same plant would be subtly different by virtue
of differing soil composition, sunlight exposure, rainfall, temperature,
geomagnetic influences, leaf size and shape, and the intelligence within
the plant itself.

Thus, in selecting a herbal remedy a routine “this herb for that condition”
approach was not used. Instead, the Kahuna would feel the energy of the
patient and then walk through his garden to select the exact plants that
cumulatively carried the composite energy required for the individual. A
selection of the same species of plants gathered elsewhere (or in the
same place at a different time) would not have the required energy.

Herbs are not drugs. They are complex living plants containing all sorts of
co-factors, active constituents, synergists, and protective agents,
unlike drugs, which are typically isolated active constituents
synthesised in a lab to crudely approximate and “improve” upon nature.

However, it is the subtle energy and intelligence of the plant and its
very nature that is utilised by herbalists to produce subtle,
nourishing, supportive, and revitalising benefits, rather than the “
brickbat” approach of pharmaceuticals.

Developed in NZ, homeobotanicals are a mutually compatible system of
dilute and potentised herbal formulae. Their main actions are to support
assimilation, drainage and therapeutic restoration to help achieve
optimal healing.

Homeobotanical remedies are safe for people of all ages
including pregnant or lactating women because of the extremely low doses
used (near homeopathic levels) but also highly efficacious.

The basic principle propounded by Samuel Hahnemann is that “like cures
like”. Homeopathic remedies are formulated through a combination of
successive extreme dilutions, to the point where no physical substance
remains, and succussion (energising the remedy with bodily energies by
tapping against the palm of the hand); in this manner, the more the dilution, the
stronger the remedy.

Apart from a few remedies that have a place in everyone’s home first aid
kit (such as Apis for insect stings, or Arnica for bruising and trauma,
etc), homeopathy is largely the realm of highly specialised
practitioners, as in classical homeopathy it is believed that there is one unique remedy that
fits the unique symptom picture of a unique individual, which requires a
great deal of skill and experience.

Dr Sir John Whitman Ray often stated, "People are in a hurry to get
well so they can get back to doing what made them sick in the first
place." Herein lies the quandary; if we have no intention of changing
how we live, the environment, toxins, negative thought and behaviour we
expose ourselves to, no intention of treating others or ourselves
differently, how do we expect to produce a lasting change in our lives?

Here also the quandary for the naturopath and
indeed any practitioner; a person can be relieved of much suffering and
even returned to a comparatively healthy state, but has this done the
greatest service to the person?

The wise practitioner will only set a person upon
the path of change they are able to be successful in. Often, what a
person is "willing" to do is not the same as what they are "able" to do,
thus the practitioner's job is to find out what motivates a person to
change and through education, find the best changes the person is
willing to undertake in the long term now.

Massage is generally a highly beneficial adjunct to any therapy,
depending on the manner and depth to which it is applied. In general,
massage increases circulation into the muscles and surrounding tissues,
helps move out stagnant waste-laden fluids and can break up adhesions
and scar tissue in muscles and fascia to promote greater flexibility and
range of motion, all of which can dramatically enhance the body’s
healing potential. Massage can be used to promote relaxation as well as
for therapeutic purposes for acute muscular injuries or chronic
situations.

"You are what you eat," is a familiar, if somewhat misunderstood statement.
On one hand, eating carrots will clearly not turn you into a carrot, but on the
other hand, if you put mineral-deficient, toxin-laden foods into your
body, then there should be no surprise that your body will become
mineral deficient and toxin-laden eventually. Unfortunately, with most
modern farming practices, this is exactly what even a person on a
"healthy diet" is getting.

"Convenience" seems to be a primary driver in the modern person's diet
but this often suggests food choices diametrically opposed to
strengthening the body and keeping it clean and energised. Foods with
long shelf lives, accelerated cooking times, available out of season,
all in the name of convenience are frequently also incompatible with
healthy bodies.

Nutrition, from a naturopathic perspective, looks at the foods best
suited to an individual, based on their constitution, stage of life and
other special needs. It recognises that different people require
different diets and there is no single universal "healthy diet" that will
work for all people.

The move towards health through diet is typically started by reducing intake
of "instant" or refined foods that have been stripped of the vitamins,
minerals and fibre that nature gave them, moving to whole,
unrefined, unprocessed foods.

These methods are derived from acupuncture, a very ancient art developed by the Chinese (although some claim this
knowledge was stolen from Tibet) and documented at least as early as the 5th
century BC. They seek to produce a balance between the forces of yin and
yang as they flow through the 14 unseen energy meridians or channels of
the body. Instead of using needles, as in acupuncture, finger pressure
is used at one or more of the thousands of acupuncture points along
these meridians in order to arouse or sedate yin or yang in that
meridian, as appropriate, in order to remove various blockages to that
energy flow.

Want to Read More on Naturopathic Techniques?

Search Healthy Being website...

Disclaimer: The information presented on this site has been provided for educational purposes only. While we consider that it is imperative for each person to take full responsibility for their own healing, this should also be under the strict guidance of a properly trained professional who fully understands the Healing Crisis as partially explained on this site.